The art of Samurai swordsmanship has always fascinated me. I served a church mission in Japan and had the immense pleasure of spending a great deal of time in the rural areas of Japan and the islands of Okinawa. The people of Japan have a very special place in my heart, their culture and the interwoven history of the Samurai is deeply engrained in this beautiful culture.

Tom Cruse (playing Nathan Algran) does such a great job in this film and I love the sparing scene between him and Hiroyuki Sanada (Ujio). I have watch this clip hundreds of times, as it is one of the rare scenes where, though choreographed, they are not pulling strikes and are actually fighting.

Enjoy. . .